The immune system of many people is failing to distinguish between healthy cells and invading microorganisms. This is creating greater suffering throughout the world. Their organs and tissue are now being attacked by the disease defenses that they once had.
Research efforts across the globe are increasing to combat this trend. A prime illustration is the London Francis Crick Institute initiative which James Lee and Carola Vinesa, two world experts in this field, have established separate research groups that will assist in determining the exact reasons behind autoimmune diseases.
The incidence of autoimmune disease started to rise around 40 years ago in the west, Lee told the Observer. We now see some cases in countries that had never experienced such illnesses.
For example, the biggest recent spike in the number of cases of inflammatory bowel diseases is located in the Middle East and east Asia. They'd never seen the disease.
Type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, inflammation bowel disease and rheumatoidarthitis are all immune-mediated illnesses. In each case, the immune system gets its wires crossed, and it turns to healthy tissues instead of the infectious agents.
In the UK alone, more than 4 million people have been diagnosed with such conditions, with some sufferers suffering from more than one. Internationally, it is currently thought that the number of autoimmune diseases is rising at a rate of between 3 to 9 percent per year. Numerous researchers believe that environmental factors play a a major role in this rise.
Lee who worked previously in Cambridge University, said that the human genetic makeup hasn't changed in the last decade. It seems that something is taking place out there that has increased our susceptibility to autoimmune diseases.
This notion was endorsed by Vinuesa, who was previously based at the Australian National University. She pointed out that diet changes were happening as more countries adopted Western-style diets and more people were buying fast food items.
Vinuesa states that many fast-food foods lack important ingredients like fiber. This could alter your microbiome, that is the accumulation of micro-organisms present in our bodies which play an important function in controlling various bodily functions.
The changes in our microbiomes can trigger autoimmune diseases, of which more than 100 kinds have now been discovered.
Both scientists highlighted the importance of individual susceptibilities in acquiring such diseases. Celiac disease and Lupus are two additional diseases that can cause swelling and inflammation, which can lead to damage to various organs, which includes your heart.
"If you don't possess a particular genetic susceptibility it is unlikely that you will develop an auto-immune disease, no matter how many Big Macs you consume," said Vinuesa. "We can do little to stop the rapid growth of fast-food outlets around the world. Instead, we're trying to discover how autoimmune illnesses are caused and the genetic factors that make certain people more susceptible to autoimmune diseases than others. "We want to deal with the issue on a fundamental level."
Modern techniques mean that researchers are now able to pinpoint tiny differences in DNA between large numbers of individuals. It is now possible to discern common genetic patterns between those suffering from an autoimmune condition.
Lee states that even though we had the tools for sequencing DNA up to a large extent until recently but it was not feasible. My study revealed that there were around six DNA variations that are involved in the development of inflammatory bowel diseases. Now we know of over 250.
This is at the center of the research conducted by Lee and Vinuesa. They aim to discover how different genetic pathways function and to discover the different types of diseases scientists are currently researching. Vinuesa stated that there are a variety of types of autoimmune diseases like Lupus. It is crucial to recognize the implications of this in determining the correct treatment.
There are many promising treatments that may be beneficial but we don't have the right patients. Actually we do not have the data we require to know if these patients suffer from the same disease. This is a key goal for the field of autoimmune research. To provide the best treatment, we must learn how to classify patients.
Lee stressed that the rising prevalence of autoimmune diseases across the world meant that new treatment and drugs were urgently required. It's not possible to treat autoimmune diseases. It happens when young people are trying to finish their education or get their first job and have families.
It means many more people will require surgery or be required to receive regular injections for the remainder of their lives. It can be grim for patients as well as a significant burden on health care services. Hence the urgent need to find new, effective treatments.
Rheumatoid Arthritis is an autoimmune disease. It is caused by the immune system targets healthy tissue in the body. We don't know the triggers for it.
Your immune system usually produces antibodies to fight off bacteria and viruses to combat infection.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a disease in which your immune system sends antibodies to your joints. They attack the joint tissue surrounding the joint.
The thin layer of cells (synovium) that cover your joints, Check out is prone to inflammation and sore.
bones
cartilage - the stretchy connective tissue between bones
Tendons are connective tissue between bone and muscle.
Ligaments form the connective tissue between cartilage and bone.
Rheumatoid arthritis can be treated but not managed. The chemicals that cause it cause joints to become distorted and out of alignment. These chemicals could eventually lead to the degeneration of the entire joint.
There are many theories about why the immune system attacks joints, which includes the possibility of an infection being a trigger. But none of them have been confirmed as true.
Possible risk factors
There are many factors that increase the risk of Check out developing rheumatoid arthritis for example:
Your genes - Some evidence suggests that rheumatoid arthritis may be passed down in families. However, it is unlikely that you'll inherit the condition. Genetics are thought to only play a minor part in the.
Hormone-Rheumatoid Ailment is more frequent for women than men. This could be due to the estrogen effects, but this has not been proved.
Smoking is a risk factor for rheumatoid artifiid. There is evidence to support this.